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Social Media 101 for Veterinary Practices

Apr 13, 2023

Cute animal videos certainly get a lot of attention on social media, but that’s not all that social media is good for. It can also be a powerful tool for your practice to communicate with clients. With 78% of adults active on various platforms, this communication tool could be just what you need to take your practice to the next level.

People today expect you to have a professional online presence, and that includes social media. It can be challenging but is well worth the effort to help your practice educate pet owners, create an online community, and build relationships with current and potential clients.

Getting started

We know that you are incredibly busy. With so much already on your plate, it may be hard to imagine making time for social media. That said, the best way to find time is to start small.

For example, try taking a few quick photos during work to show what your day looks like. This can help you get started with social media without taking a lot of time from your day.

As a best practice, it’s recommended that you post 2 or 3 times a week. Keep in mind, the more regularly you post, the more often you will be seen by followers. However, if you’re tight on time, posting 2 or 3 times a week can be enough to keep clients engaged.

Building your strategy

To maximize your impact, you should have a social media strategy that aligns with your overall business goals. Start by determining your primary business goal, then think through how your posts can help you reach it.

Next, identify your target audience. It can be helpful to create personas for your audience to help you visualize them.

After this, you can start to create content to engage your audience. Posts that invite conversation, share timely industry news, educate, boost your credibility, or have a clear call to action, will all help encourage engagement.

Best practices

Finally, here are some best practices as you embark on your social media journey:

    • Engage with followers. Take 5 minutes a day to reply to questions and like a few posts.
    • Use a social media scheduler. It will help you stay on top of posting regularly with minimal effort.
    • Use graphic design templates. There are some user-friendly options out there and it allows you to get great designs with little effort.

The more you post on social media, the more opportunities you have to get in front of pet owners. But keeping up with social media takes time. Time that you may not have.

If you need a little extra support with social media, providers like CVMA’s affinity partner LifeLearn Animal Heath can help. That way you can stay focused on the most important thing: taking care of your patients! Visit (https://www.lifelearn.com/request-a-consultation/cvma-consultation-form/) to learn more and take advantage of your 10% CVMA member discount.